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Yoon San-ha of Astro ‘Dive’ into solo journey

Singer drops album full of ambition, consolation

By Lee Jung-youn

Published : Aug. 7, 2024 - 14:28

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Yoon San-ha performs during a press conference held in Seoul, Tuesday. (Kwon Min-seo/The Korea Herald) Yoon San-ha performs during a press conference held in Seoul, Tuesday. (Kwon Min-seo/The Korea Herald)

Yoon San-ha of the boy band Astro set off on a journey as a soloist with his first mini album "Dusk."

The singer debuted as the youngest member of Astro in 2016. The album's title symbolizes the transition from being an Astro member to his new solo artist identity.

“When I started preparing the album, I pondered what kind of music I could make and my unique color. Then I decided to incorporate those struggles into the album,” said the singer at a press conference held in Banyantree Seoul on Tuesday.

The album’s six tracks, including the title track “Dive,” are arranged in a sequence that represents the stages of dusk, from sunset to midnight.

The singer expressed affection toward the first track “Yeowoobyul,” for which he wrote the lyrics and participated in composing. “It’s a song that reminds me of the color of the sky just before sunset. The title is a Korean term for a star that shines briefly and disappears, even on a cloudy day.”

“I looked up at the sky a lot when I struggled, and I wanted to give warm, comforting songs to the audience and my fans,” said the 24-year-old singer.

The second track “Losing My Mind” is an all-English number with emotional piano melodies that expresses his longing for Astro bandmate Moonbin, who passed away in April last year.

“This song contains the regret and sorrow of losing loved ones. I shed tears when I first heard this song, maybe because the word ‘Losing’ felt too sad to me”

The main single “Dive,” a song with a heavy, intense bass sound, is the fourth track in the album. “Since it’s a strong R&B track, which I hadn’t tried before, I had a lot of concerns during the recording. It took nearly 7-8 hours to record,” San-ha recalled.

“Right now, I want to test my limits. I want to ‘dive’ into myself by taking on various challenges.”

Meanwhile, San-ha will return to acting in the JTBC drama series “Romance in the House,” which begins airing Aug. 10. Fan concerts in Korea and Japan are also in the works.